Being frugal… OK, cheap… I don’t want to call a repair guy if this is just annoying and not a sign of future meltdown (hah - like a joke!!)
When our refrigerator is running, it often, but not always, makes a sound that reminds me of the whistle of an old Lionel model train. It’s not constant, but it’s also not predictable or regular. I notice it louder when I have the freezer door open (it’s a side-by-side, if that matters) and I feel like it’s associated with the fan.
The fridge and freezer are working just fine other than the noise. We did roll it away from the wall and vacuum the stray dog hair that had worked its way back there, hoping maybe it would make a difference, but it really didn’t. The only other thing I can think of doing, short of calling a repair service and hoping the noise shows up at the right time, is to completely empty it, turn it off, take advantage of that time to give it a good cleaning, just because, and let it come down to room temp before restarting it - on the chance that maybe the whistling is caused by an orifice that’s partly clogged with ice or frost. Other than that, I’m at a loss.
Have you ever experienced such a problem? Any self-help suggestions? Incidentally, the fridge is a GE, barely 3 years old. And it’s almond - I know Click and Clack always ask about car color…
Have you looked in the owner’s manual? My 6-year-old Frigidaire had an entire page listing all the strange noises it made, and what was going on. I was told that the newer, more energy efficient refrigerators make a lot more noises than the old ones did, and the makers wanted to avoid unnecessary service calls for things like ‘a series of popping sounds, followed by a long, groaning noise’ (one of many sounds this Frigidaire makes).
I’m gonna guess it’s a fan motor dying. Probably a bad bearing. If it were my fridge, and my ears confirmed the noise, (perhaps by pulling out the fridge, finding the fan and hoping it makes the noise while I’m nearby), I would replace it before it seizes. If you can see the fan, and you can get a replacement, it should be an easy fix and you should be able to do it without emptying it.
OTOH, if it’s the compressor dying, that’s not something you can fix yourself.
A few questions, since I can’t hear it myself. Does the noise sound like it’s coming from a moving part? How often does it happen? Do you have an icemaker? If you do have an incemaker, try turning it off for a day or so and see if happens while it’s off. Is there anything else we should know?
I have replaced the defrost timer on my fridge which fixed that noise.
In general, find the location of the fans and timer. Then start paying attention to where the noise seems to be coming from. And replace, don’t try to oil or fix.
From your description, I’d say it is most likely the evaporator fan motor starting to die. If so, the noise will be coming from the back of the freezer section, probably near the top. If you determine this is the cause, you can replace it yourself, but it’s not a very fun job and one of the reasons I will never own a side-by-side refrigerator.
Other possibilities: Ice maker motor, water hitting the heating element during defrost cycle, freon pressures equalizing after compresssor shut off, ice maker fill valve.
Or maybe there’s a Lionel train trapped under the frozen peas.
You notice it louder when the freezer door is open. Open the freezer door, and push on the refrigerator door. Does that make a difference? Wondering if gasket leakage is causing the musical cooler.
That’s exactly where I’m hearing it! Which negates the Lionel train theory, since I keep the peas in the bin at the bottom.
I’m embarrassed that I didn’t even think to look in the manual. I need to find it and check it out, but the concensus, and now my spousal unit agrees, that it’s likely the fan motor. Like I need an expensive repair at this point.
Thanks for all the information - I knew I could count on Dopers!
I can’t attest exactly to the sound you’re describing, but my uncle had an old fridge that was going bad, and it made sounds remarkably close to an ankle-biter yipping. It irritated his dachsund so bad that any time the fridge started making that noise, the dog would start growling and then barking.
FWIW, replacing the evap fan motor is difficult, but not terribly complicated. It’s only difficult because of the cramped working space in a side-by-side. Before you call a repair service and pay them some exorbitant amount of money, check online for replacement parts and instructions. You could save yourself a chunk of change, or you could decide it’s too difficult. But you should at least explore the option.
Your mileage will definitely vary on this - I’m in the midst of cleaning a side-by-side that was put into storage before being sanitized, (ewww…) and to make the cleaning easier, I’m field-stripping it. (It’s a Kenmore, built in mid 2005, that saw about three months use before being packed up, so it’s worth a little scrubbing!) The evap fan on this model is behind a piece of sheet metal in the back and is relatively easy to get at - lift out the shelves, remove six screws, and there it is.
To compensate for that, I’m sure there are freezers where you’d need to tunnel in from underneath or have to take out all the shelves, ice maker, take off the door and wonder why you didn’t just scrap the whole thing.
